[LOG] Sanada, Yanagi & Yagyuu Brunch Date

[hiro_shi]

Who: Sanada Genichirou, Yanagi Renji, and Yagyuu Hiroshi
What: The three of them gets together for brunch and drunken shenanigans ensue.
When: Sometime around July to August
Rating: G for Genirchirou getting drunk

Yanagi checked his watch as he stood in line at the popular Ginza brunch spot where he was meeting his friends. He’d arrived early to make sure they would be seated in a timely manner. Sanada got grumpy when he was hungry, after all. Hopefully Yagyuu wouldn’t mind their old teammate crashing their boozy date. He rather suspected Yagyuu would appreciate the free entertainment.

Sanada didn’t think he was the brunch type of guy but he enjoyed food and after New York, where it seemed everybody did brunch on the weekend, he was intrigued to see what the fuss was all about. Dressed in an outfit he had more or less been forced to get in New York, he strolled down the street keeping an eye out for the name of the restaurant and his friends. Finally spotting Yanagi, he gave a wave and headed over. “This place seems popular,” He said. Apparently New York wasn’t the only place that enjoyed brunch.

Yagyuu glanced at his watch and quickened his pace towards the restaurant Yanagi had recommended. The reviews online had mentioned it was a popular spot with queues up to three hours on some days. Shuddering at the thought, he walked faster and hoped the other man hadn’t been waiting for too long. He wasn’t late by any means but knowing Yanagi, he’d have arrived there earlier to make sure they were seated on time. As he crossed the street, he spotted his friend and another familiar face beside him. “Yanagi-kun, Sanada-kun, it’s been a while,” he greeted.

“Genichirou, Hiroshi,” Yanagi greeted, just as the hostess started to approach them. “Good timing.” His friends were dressed nicely, he noted, which would facilitate his later plans. Especially Genichirou, whose fashion sense tended towards “frumpy uncle” without intervention. As it was, it looked like they were going to have a splendid day while dressed for the occasion.

“It is a very popular brunch spot,” he said as they were seated in a shaded location outside. It was removed from the din of the main dining room, and still cool enough outdoors to be pleasant. “It had very good reviews, so I thought we should try it.”

Sanada was thankful to leave the chaotic main room of the restaurant ane be led to out to the quieter outside space. He didn’t see the point in eating out with friends if they couldn’t hear each other without yelling. “Are you much of a brunch person, Yagyuu?” Sanada asked as he got comfortable in his seat and started flipping through the menu. It would be nice if he wasn’t the only one enjoying their first proper brunch experience.

Despite the crowd inside, the restaurant had a relaxed atmosphere that was almost contrary to the bustle of the main area. As Yagyuu looked around the patio, a waitress had poured water into each of their glasses. Feeling thirsty from earlier, he took a sip from his before answering. “Not really,” he said with shake of his head. “I’m usually in class around this time so I tend to just have some coffee in the mornings instead. What about you, Sanada-kun?”

“Hardly. This seems a foolish time to have a meal,” Sanada said. And he had only agreed to it because it was on the weekend and it seemed like something different and interesting. He couldn’t see how anyone would have time for this on a normal day. “I get up before five for training. I can’t wait until after ten to eat.” He assumed brunch was designed for those who slept in until around nine.

“It’s more for rest days or special occasions,” agreed Yanagi. “It’s nice to have an unhurried start to the day, sometimes.” If he had company the evening before, Yanagi would occasionally take them to brunch the next day, though it seemed inappropriate to mention in present company. He plucked the menu from Sanada and turned it to the steak and eggs section, which was probably the most appealing option for his friend, before returning it to him.

“I hear the French toast is very good,” he said to Yagyuu, while ordering them all mimosas to start while they decided on food.

“French toast is a dessert.” And Sanada didn’t care how many people told him otherwise. Anything with that much sugar in and on it was definitely not a breakfast food. He gave Yanagi a nod of thanks once he saw why he had momentarily stolen the menu from him and quickly decided on some ridiculously pictured monstrosity that had a variety of meats and several eggs stacked precariously on the plate. “And what’s a mimosa?” He’d definitely heard it in association with the brunch idea but other than being a drink he had no clue what was in it.

“It has orange juice in it,” Yanagi informed Sanada. “And they do have savory options for the french toast.” He’d probably go for something plain, though the salmon and avocado did seem good.

“It’s quite sweet but refreshing,” Yagyuu added. Upon Yanagi’s recommendation, he turned to the French toast section and skimmed through the different options.

“Perhaps something that would pair well with the drinks...” He said as he flipped past the sweeter flavours. Aside from the classic choices, there were a number of unusual flavours to choose from as well. Looking through the descriptions, the one with the egg cooked in its center seemed like a good choice.

“So it’s a fruit punch,” Sanada said mostly to himself with a nod. A mimosa had a strange name but it sounded like it would be a good breakfast type drink. “I know what I’m getting. And it’s not french toast.” He didn’t care how much savoury stuff they served it with. It was still a dessert. And he was going for the large platter of meat and eggs, no question.

“Yes, Genichirou, go with your manly meat option,” said Yanagi, amused. Judging that they were all ready, he called their waitress over to take their orders, getting a French toast with some salad for himself. As the drinks arrived, he didn’t bother to correct Sanada’s assumption about mimosas. He wasn’t technically wrong…

Yagyuu raised an eyebrow at Sanada’s conclusion as a smirk threatened to appear on his face. He glanced at Yanagi on whether or not he’d correct the other. Seeing there wasn’t any attempt to do so, he shrugged and figured Sanada would find out sooner or later. He picked up a champagne flute and smiled. “Although it’s just brunch, it’s good to see you both,” he said, lifting up the drink. “A toast to start off."

Sanada nodded and took his own glass before holding it up. “To time with friends and brunch,” He said. It felt like a suitable toast to give. He then gave his drink a sniff before taking a sip of it. It had a bit of an odd taste to it but it was good and refreshing so he didn’t question it since the others didn’t seem to be either.

“To friendship,” agreed Yanagi, saluting his friends with a tip of his glass. He took a leisurely sip of his mimosa and calculated the odds of having to drag Sanada’s unconscious body through Tokyo. It would be worth it, he decided, turning to speak with Yagyuu.

“Hiroshi, how are your studies going lately? You seem quite busy.”

“As expected, the work is heavy but the classes are interesting,” Yagyuu said, taking a generous sip of his mimosa. “The schedule though is quite..erratic. Some of the professors have been rescheduling classes so our load has been tiresome lately.”

At that, an image of a new stack of readings, waiting for him in his room, entered his mind. He lightly shook his head to clear his thoughts; such matters could always wait and if ever, his notes were already done at the very least. “That aside, you’ve been traveling a lot with Yukimura-kun. Between that and your studies, I hope that you’re taking care of yourself."

“That seems tough,” noted Yanagi, his tone sympathetic. He disliked people who could not stick to a schedule. “I have every confidence you’ll be able to handle it, though.” Hopefully, this date would help Yagyuu relax a little. “I’m doing better than expected with such a full schedule, to be honest. Perhaps I gain energy from Seiichi’s suffering.”

“Don’t let Yukimura hear you say that,” Sanada warned. He had a feeling that Yukimura would somehow make Yanagi suffer instead if he found out about it. “And school can be troublesome but it’s important for the future.” Or so he always reminded himself when he would rather be training or practicing calligraphy than sitting in another dull class or reading equally dull textbooks. He would have picked something more to his tastes but he had instead chosen the courses that seemed popular among the police that later joined the elite guards who protected the emperor and their holdings.

“Very true,” Yagyuu agreed, nodding his head. “However, as important as it is, it’s not the only thing that matters for our futures.” His mother’s words echoing in his ears as if it was just yesterday when she sat him down before he finally resolved to tell his father that he was dropping out of medicine. Not that law was an easier option than the other, but it was something far more enjoyable and fulfilling despite the trouble it brought. “That aside, perhaps having a wide variety of activities is more help than not.”

“Seiichi won’t mind that much,” chuckled Yanagi. Especially since his suffering was for the sake of better tennis. He nodded in agreement to Yagyuu’s statement. “I do feel like outings such as these are very revitalising, and are a good break from school and work. As you say, like diet, a healthy lifestyle should involve varied activities.”

Their food arrived then, and Yanagi took the opportunity to order a refill on their drinks.

Sanada nodded vaguely but he was still sure school was important and Yukimura wouldn’t enjoy his tormen being amusing to others. But it also wasn’t anything worth spending energy bickering about. Instead, he pulled out his phone to snap a picture of their brunch to possibly post on his blog. “I should have brought the family rock,” Sanada said mostly to himself as he shifted his mimosa to sit better in his shot. He’d been picking up more tips of better photos from Zaizen and the others lately.

“Is it truly a healthy lifestyle if we drink these in the morning?” Yagyuu chimed with a slight quirk of his lips, tapping the empty glass’ side. Then, as if right on cue, the next round of their drinks arrived.

Thanking the waitress with a nod, he took a sip of his new glass as he watched Sanada take photos of his food from different angles. He nudged his half-empty glass of water aside to prevent it from maring the shot. “Do you always take the family rock wherever you go out?” he asked, placing the napkin on his lap. If he remembered correctly, although it wasn’t overly large, it still seemed like a troublesome object to carry around. He blanched at the thought and drank some more.

“Juice is healthy,” Sanada said. They shouldn’t drink it all of the time because of the sugars in it but it was hardly the worst thing they could be having with breakfast. “And I don’t take the rock as much as I used to. But if I think there will be a good chance for a photo I’ll take it. I was told pictures make blogs better.” And he had to remember to call the alphabet guy Zaizen since Kirihara seemed attached to him.

At Sanada’s oblivious comment, Yanagi could only smile and attempt to hide it by ducking his head to focus on his meal. This deception would never work again on Sanada, but he would enjoy it while it lasted. “Perhaps you should include a review of your meal to go with it,” he suggested, cutting a piece of his French toast and tasting it. “Oh, this is good. How is your egg toast, Hiroshi?”

Dipping a piece of the bread into the yolk, Yagyuu took a bite and savoured the rich flavour coating his tongue. “The runny egg in the center is perfect,” he replied, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “And a food review is a good idea. Those always seem popular online; but if I may add to Yanagi-kun’s suggestion, perhaps you’d like to try either some other dishes or beverages to add variety to your post’s content?"

“I suppose a food review to go with the post wouldn’t hurt,” Sanada said. He thought it might be helpful to any of his friends that were thinking about coming here to know if it was worth the money and time to visit. “The bacon is certainly good.”

“If we’re all feeling up to it, perhaps we could also go try other places after this,” suggested Yanagi, feeling that a brunch crawl was in order to attain maximal entertainment. “That way, Genichirou can compare and contrast the various experiences for a more comprehensive post.”

“Indeed,” Yagyuu clapped his together and nodded. “It can’t be a proper review if there’s no point of comparison. If everyone is free then it should be alright to visit other establishments.”

“More places?” Sanada asked in surprise. He looked down at his still rather full plate and wondered how he’d be expected to eat more food at the next place. He was known for being able to eat a lot but even that might be pushing it. “Is that normal?” Maybe it was some brunch thing he didn’t know about.

“Not precisely,” Yanagi replied, amused. “Which is why you would be doing your readers a favour by making fair comparisons. If you’re worried about the amount of food, perhaps we could get items to share.”

“There might also be smaller sizes of the dishes,” Yagyuu added, his eyes crinkling behind his glasses. “But Yanagi-kun is right, you would be doing your readers a favour by giving them a complete and unbiased report.”

“I’m not sure I have nearly as many readers as you two think,” Sanada said. He was definitely sure he didn’t have that many readers that enjoyed Sunday brunches. But he supposed if the company was good, it wouldn’t be so bad to visit another place after this one.

“You might be surprised, once you look at the statistics,” said Yanagi, with the air of someone who knew he was absolutely right. “Then, if we’re all agreed, I have an idea of where we should go next.”

-0-0-0-0-

“…And then my professor had said, ‘why are you wrong, Yagyuu-san?’ as if I knew that I wasn’t right.” Yagyuu huffed, voice echoing throughout the large bathroom. His glasses slid down the bridge of his nose for what seemed like the nth time since they’ve embarked on their little brunch crawl. Clicking his tongue in irritation, he took them off and placed them carefully on the edge of the marble counter. Although he couldn’t see as clearly, it wasn’t as if he was completely blind. Besides, any more shots of the drink they got from the last café and it wouldn’t have mattered if he wore his glasses or not.

“I hate when professors point out mistakes like that,” Sanada mumbled into Yanagi’s shoulder. He was draped across his friend, using him both for support since his legs were annoyingly not working like he’d want them to and because Yanagi was actually fairly nice to cuddle up to as long as you avoided the elbows.

“You’re heavy, Gen-chan,” complained Yanagi, hiccuping. He shuffled them both towards the king-sized bed in the middle of the room, but not without bumping into every single possible surface along the way. He flopped onto the covers, taking the extra-cuddly Sanada with him, and frowned as something dug into his back. Ah, his phone, which had been in his jacket pocket.

“We should take a selfie,” he decided. It was something Yukimura would like. “Hiroshi, what are you doing? Come here.”

Sanada made a small disgruntled noise every time Yanagi bumped them into something but dutifully shuffled along with him until they fell onto the bed. The bed was ridiculously large and soft and seemed to be trying to eat them. He threw an arm out over Yanagi and held on a bit tighter. If he was getting lost in the bed, Yanagi was coming with him. “You should do more muscle training.” The obvious solution to him being heavy was Yanagi needing to get stronger.

Stumbling out of the bathroom, Yagyuu carefully made his way to the bed. Despite his best attempts, he stubbed his toe against the coffee table and nearly knocked over the fruit bowl onto the ground as he tried to clutch at anything to steady himself. With a groan, he finally reached his friends and plopped face down onto the bed beside Yanagi.

“Yanagi-kun, here,” he said, placing a banana on top of his chest. “You can’t workout without any proper nutrition."

“Like fruit punches.” They had drunk a fair number of them as they made their way from one brunch place to the next. Surely they should all have the nutrition needed for a good long workout. After a nap of course. Because Sanada was finding it annoyingly hard to stay awake. Especially when the bed and Yanagi was so comfortable. He pawed at his friend a bit as he snuggled up closer and then frowned as his hand hit a… banana? “Banana,” Sanada said. He nudged it toward Yagyuu.

“Don’t grab bananas carelessly, Gen-chan, they bruise easily,” admonished Yanagi, squirming an arm free of Sanada’s boa constrictor hug to shakily hold up his phone. He dropped it a few times on his face, but finally managed to hold it up to take a picture. He wasn’t sure that the whole muscle-training thing was a logical course of action. Yanagi, after all, was a sort-of desk jockey from a line of desk jockeys.

“Say cheese,” Yanagi said, clumsily snapping a picture of the three of them. He was probably the only one looking at the camera. Would Yukimura be disappointed in the subpar composition? He texted it to Yukimura together with an incomprehensible weight-training menu involving bananas before dropping the phone on his chest.

At the signal, Yagyuu blindly groped Yanagi’s chest then attempted to cover his eyes with the banana. It wouldn’t do to have his picture taken without his glasses. After all, those were his most defining feature. In fact, would anyone still recognize him without them?

Frowning to himself, he reached into his pockets for his phone but found them empty. Maybe when he was a bit less tired later, he could look for it and then ask Niou. Considering their unorthodox tactics then and their close friendship, if there’s anyone who would know it would definitely be him. Satisfied, Yagyuu put the fruit back on top of Sanada’s hand and pat it. “Thank you, Sanada-kun,” he said seriously.

Sanada grunted as Yanagi’s phone hit him more than once and then grumbled at the banana coming back to him. The damn thing was like a boomerang. “Banana…” He said again for lack of anything better to say about it. He shook it off his hand so Yanagi couldn’t lecture him about grabbing it again. He then focused on getting comfortable which really came down to tangling himself around his friend even more while accidentally groping Yagyuu a few times in the process.

Yanagi resigned himself to being squeezed and manhandled by Sanada for the foreseeable future. Why couldn’t Sanada be more like Yagyuu? What an exemplary gentlemanly drunk. He rested his head on Yagyuu’s exemplary gentlemanly shoulder.

“I am sleeping,” he announced, and closed his eyes. It was warm, his head was pleasantly fuzzy, and his stomach was full. Surely it didn’t get better than this. Soon enough he was fast asleep.